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Suddenly the trip seems to be very real. I have spent the first week of the holidays doing prep, getting things organised ready for Rwanda. I have now booked flights and even confirmed seats. I know which planes I'm getting and where to sit! I've started my vaccinations and got my big bag etc sorted so can start to gather together bits and pieces ready to go. One job I finally got round to was putting up flyers and posters around town. Many shops were kind enough to take one and display either in a window or on a notice board - do keep a look out. Thank you to all those who helped.
I also completed my first "E-Learn" with LRTT. I had put it off, fearing an essay style response was required but it was actually really interesting and made me reflect on my teaching practice and how I can use my experiences in Rwanda. I came across two really interesting videos. One talking about practising making permanent but not always perfect. It now seems so obvious but it is something I have never thought about previously. When reflecting and looking for CPD, I have a habit of focusing on my weaker areas. I'm often asked "what do you need to improve?" This video suggests we should instead focus on our stronger areas, making sure they are well practised and successful. Continual practise of sub-optimal skills will mean that they remain at this level but become more permanent, actually impeding development. So now, I plan to focus on what I am good at, making sure that is as good as can be, to allow more room to develop other areas.
The second video was a speech given by Dr. Christopher Emdin from Colombia University. He speaks about the magic a teacher can possess; getting that level of engagement that some teachers are able to achieve and how we should look outside schools to learn how to do this. Rap artists, preachers, magicians - all of these people can hold an audience and this is a skill we as teachers should be building. The video is well worth a watch.
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